Hillsong Creative Podcast

This week we hear from Andrew Tierney and Tim Dunfield of the band “Finding Faith”. Andrew is one of the original members of the Australian pop band Human Nature, which has toured internationally with Celine Dion and Michael Jackson, and have just completed their 1500th show. Tim has a background as a worship and teaching pastor, and their conversation covers many practical lessons any creative can learn from and apply. Make sure to stick around after the interview for the special segment in Season 3, “Psalms of Ascent”, and join the #100daycreativechallenge as we prepare for Worship & Creative Conference 2018.

This week’s episode is with Caitlin Crosby, founder and CEO of The Giving Keys. She’s a mother, actress, musician, entrepreneur and has been featured on Oprah’s Supersoul 100, Ellen, and TEDx talks. Caitlin’s passion for helping others led her to employ homeless people to start making jewelry. Now 10 years later, The Giving Keys has grown into a thriving fashion business, and has helped over 100 of its employees transition out of homelessness. Make sure to stick around after the interview for the special segment in Season 3, “Psalms of Ascent”, and join the #100daycreativechallenge as we prepare for Worship & Creative Conference 2018.

This week’s guest is world-renowned songwriter and worship leader Chris Tomlin. In the last 3 decades, there are few who have had as much impact on Christian music as Chris, having given the global Church worship anthems such as How Great Is Our God, Indescribable and Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone). In this wide-ranging interview with Cass Langton, you’ll get to know Chris as much more than a musician, as he walks listeners through key stages of his life, whether it be the start of his marriage or the creative process to writing many of his songs. Make sure to stick around after the interview for the special segment in Season 3, “Psalms of Ascent”, and join the #100daycreativechallenge as we prepare for Worship & Creative Conference 2018.

Listen to Eric Liljero, the creative pastor of Hillsong Sweden, as he shares how a tragedy in Scandinavia helped inspire one of the worship anthems of this generation, Cornerstone. Eric unpacks the defining moments that have taught him the importance of patience and authenticity, and how he’s learnt to use creative rejection and disappointments to fuel his own personal growth. Make sure to stick around after the interview for the special segment in Season 3, “Psalms of Ascent”, and join the #100daycreativechallenge as we prepare for Worship & Creative Conference 2018.

Leighton Ching, Art Director and Lead Graphic Designer at Passion City Church and sixstepsrecords, has created the artwork that millions of people would recognise, including for Louie Giglio & Passion, the Jesus Bible, and major Christian artists like Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Christy Nockels and more. He discusses his extensive journey to discover and develop his craft. Self-taught in his trade, Leighton talks about what it looks like to learn from leading artists, honing in on skill sets and maturing behind the scenes. Leighton shares the importance of staying faithful and diligent to the work, pressing on toward the goal. Make sure to stick around after the interview for the special segment in Season 3, “Psalms of Ascent”, and join the #100daycreativechallenge as we prepare for Worship & Creative Conference 2018.

Season 3 of the Podcast kicks off with an interview with JD from Hillsong United. Known around the world for his passionate worship leading, he shares his journey of confidence that is unshaken by the ups and downs of life and opportunity, but rooted firmly in Christ. Make sure to stick around after the interview for the special segment in Season 3, “Psalms of Ascent”, and join the #100daycreativechallenge as we prepare for Worship & Creative Conference 2018.

We're on a short break after finishing Season 2, but we had something special to share that couldn't wait till Season 3. So here's a bonus episode with a special announcement!

In the final episode for Season 2, we have a signature message from Cass Langton, “The Art of Rescue”. Spoken at our first ever Worship & Creative Conference. She speaks to the heart and purpose of creativity, how we steward our gifts and find our creative callings. This special episode will inspire creatives in every artistic sphere, and stir imagination for how to pursue creativity that changes the world. Make sure to stick around after the message for the special segment in Season 2, “The Creative Compass”.

Joel A’Bell, lead pastor of Hillsong Church Australia, reveals the catalyst that led him to a full stop in the process to find work/life balance. Joel shares on the significance of being interruptible so others can come and glean from the harvest in our life, and bring your best to your creativity. With a background in IT, he also talks about the power of technology, structures and systems to enable Christ-like growth, and in growing leaders, how talent is pinpointed before it’s developed. Make sure to stick around after the interview for the special segment in Season 2, “The Creative Compass”.

Step into the world of innovative creativity on a budget and deadlines, with our resident stage design genius; Kris Mateika. Passionate about transforming church auditoriums into spaces that say “welcome home”, she shares insights into her creative process, working with a variety of teams to execute an idea, and going from the dreaming stages to scaling back an idea whilst maintaining its integrity. Make sure to stick around after the interview for the special segment in Season 2, “The Creative Compass”.

Practice, practice, practice! In this special episode, we have a panel interview with 4 incredible guests from various creative disciplines including music, film creation, audio, and dance. They cover how to prioritize practice amidst full and busy lives, what their practice disciplines have looked like over the years, and debunking the myth that talent is everything. We get so many requests to share what we do at Team Nights, so we thought this was the perfect interview to share with our Podcast listeners! Enjoy this exclusive interview from Hills Team Night with Sebastian Strand, Tabitha Alfredsson, Chelsea LaRosa, and Muchiri Gateri. Make sure to stick around after the interview for the special segment in Season 2, “The Creative Compass”.

Is there a place for art in devastated places? Join Jeremy Court, founder of the Preemptive Love Coalition, as he talks about the impact of art and story from his perspective on the front lines of providing aid in some of the most war-torn parts of the world. Hear him discuss how imagination threatens groups like ISIS as well as how making soap brought hope and transformation to an entire community. Make sure to stick around after the interview for the special segment in Season 2, “The Creative Compass”.

Ben Nicholson, a highly accredited video director and creative producer, talks about his personal journey of starting out in the field and how he found himself working with Grammy-Award winning artists and events like the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Ben discusses the significance of finding a balanced rhythm in the midst of a fast-paced industry, prioritizing relationships and community in addition to task. Make sure to stick around after the interview for the special segment in Season 2, “The Creative Compass”.

Hear Chris Davenport discuss the ins and outs of being the creative pastor at Hillsong NYC as well as the challenges that come with maintaining a healthy culture in an actively growing team. Working with a volunteer team in the city that never sleeps, Chris provides key tips to become an intentional leader, prioritizing detail and consistent communication in a creative environment. Make sure to stick around after the interview for the special segment in Season 2, “The Creative Compass”.

Season 2 of the Podcast kicks off with a special interview with host Rich Langton. Rich and his wife Cass lead and pastor the Hillsong Creative team, with him focusing on the leadership of the team in Australia. He speaks vulnerably about his journey over the years and the unexpected paths in following Christ’s calling for his life. Rich shares passionately about creating a healthy team culture, where people are pastored and cared for alongside the stewarding of their contribution, including when tough conversations need to be had.

Only days after its worldwide release, hear Brooke Ligertwood talk about putting together the new Hillsong Worship album “There Is More”. Along with discussing some of the new songs including “New Wine”, she explains the creative process behind the album, focused not simply on a theme but labouring to find which songs are right for this season. She shares her heart on finding new expression for unchanging, timeless truths as well as what it means to authentically worship & create from our own relationship with Jesus. P.S. This is the last episode for Season 1 of the podcast. We’ll be back in a few weeks with more insightful interviews with a variety of guests, as well as some exciting new segments in Season 2!

Ben Fielding, worship leader and Grammy Award-winning songwriter from Hillsong Worship, discusses the process of writing songs, and developing a culture of feedback and collaboration with other writers. Having penned some of the modern Church’s most wide-reaching songs like Mighty to Save and What a Beautiful Name, Ben unpacks the importance of melody and Biblical lyrics, and his heart for writing worship anthems that point people to Jesus.

Join Brian Houston, founder and Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church, as he shares wisdom from over 40 years of ministry. Brian offers profound insight on partnering with God in dreaming for more for our lives and our creativity, which is the theme of his new book ‘There Is More’. He also talks about the process of building credibility throughout your life in both good times and bad as well as how life is founded on our consistent everyday decisions.

In the first of a 2-part interview with Hillsong Church’s Global Worship and Creative Pastor, Cass Langton talks about the importance of developing a Christ-centered and inclusive creative team. Cass shares milestones and wisdom gathered from her own journey into creative leadership, highlighting the significance of “hidden seasons,” building margin to continually hear from God, and her heart for creatives in the Church.

Hear David Whitworth dive into the role of a recording and travelling musician with Bethel Music, keeping a fixed vision while dealing with setbacks and the need for constant output. David shares his personal experiences of collaborative music creation and developing a unique creative rapport with different artists. He talks about the importance of having a creative outlet and finding new ways to stretch his craft of musicianship.